Objectives: The relative high rates of homelessness and housing insecurity among college students has become a public health concern within the U.S. This study explores the relationship between housing instability in relation to academic and mental health outcomes. Participants: College students attending a larger public university (N = 1,416…

Homelessness among at-risk transitional age youth is an increasingly growing crisis impacting college-aged students across the United States. Thankfully, along with interest in their local community's success, universities have the necessary resources that may offer a unique solution to this crisis. This study describes the pilot of a…

This qualitative study explored the needs and experiences of college students who have aged out of the foster care system and facing housing instability at a large public institution. The study explores the participants' pre-college experiences and college journey to identify challenges they faced, sources of support, and unmet needs impacting…

There have now been fifteen years of research on the basic needs of college students in the U.S. The studies have primarily focused on assessing the prevalence of food and housing insecurity. Determining who is responsible and finding solutions have been less emphasized. The scholarship has also not framed the problems of students' basic needs…

Basic needs insecurity (BNI), or insufficient access to food or housing, is a problem in U.S. higher education (Broton et al., 2022). As college students continue to negotiate the fallout of COVID-19 and its lingering economic effects, it is vital to amplify BNI as a concerning problem for campus administrators invested in students' success…

Homelessness and housing insecurity (HI) have impacted college students' success for years but were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when lots of educational institutions closed their student housing, which resulted in college students having to vacate student housing. This was a major concern especially if their student…

College students are unable to meet their basic needs (food, housing, utilities, etc.) at greater rates than the general adult population of the United States. When students lack enough to eat and/or are unable to secure safe, stable housing, they often face tolls to their psychological and physical health. Additionally, compared to peers who are…

A Single Point of Contact (SPOC) is an individual designated by a college or university to support a student "in need." The SPOC serves as a navigator to help answer questions and connect the student to services. This role can include support of a student related to academic coursework, registration, housing, financial aid, health and/or…

Going to college creates a financial challenge for an increasing number of American students. The inadequacy of available financial aid and lack of wrap-around services make the possibility of college graduation increasingly challenging for former McKinney-Vento students. The purpose of this study was to explore the financial, socioemotional, and…

This chapter explores the importance of developing spaces on campus that serve students experiencing homelessness. The authors recommend identifying a single point of contact in order to facilitate access to services.

Applications to local authorities for homelessness assistance per head are significantly higher in university towns and cities in England compared with areas without a university (1,428 per 100,000, compared with 1,007). Rates of households living in temporary accommodation are more than twice as high (475 per 100,000, compared with 218). The…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify which student groups Black students perceive as needing food assistance, to explore how Black students' perceptions of students in need impacts their decision to utilize the on-campus food pantry at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), and to identify the circumstances that…

Basic needs insecurity -- including housing and food insecurity, as well as lack of access to healthcare, childcare, transportation, and other basic needs -- is a critical barrier that can undermine persistence and completion rates for postsecondary students. The gaps in covering critical costs such as housing and food are pervasive among students…

It is well demonstrated that basic needs insecurities (i.e., food insecurity, housing insecurity, or homelessness) are more pronounced among certain groups of historically marginalized students, including students of color at traditionally under-resourced Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCUs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs),…

Washington has made some strides in recent years toward increasing awareness and state support of students' basic needs but has lacked state and regional information to drive larger-scale policies, programs, and investments to address the attainment barriers associated with basic needs insecurity. State and regional data on unmet basic needs can…